NOLLYWOOD MOVIES WATCH FREE ONLINE !ASK9JA.COM ! Post as many Adverts as you can ! Your ADverts will be on for EVER ! and for FREE ! and you can include up to 3 images with your ad ! Encycleopedia Nigerianica Wikipedia meets 9jawiki .. Free online university new Courses added !lagosians live in lagosDr. Peter Odili, former Governor of River StateGripped by fear of arrest by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), former Rivers State Governor, Dr. Peter Odili, has commenced the repayment of the loan he took from FinBank Plc, one of the five troubled banks recently taken over by the Central Bank of Nigeria.A source at the EFCC informed P.M.News that former Governor Odili has paid N75 million out of the N189 million loan he took from Fin Bank Plc.Odili, who was a two-term governor of Rivers State from 1999 to 2007 under the platform of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), is believed to own substantial shares in Rockson Engineering Company LimitedAccording to a list of debtors published by the Central Bank of Nigeria in some national dailies about a fortnight ago, Rockson Engineering Limited is indebted to troubled Intercontinental Bank Plc to the tune of N36,989,692.840.The former governor, who after his tenure was a presidential candidate of the PDP during the primaries of the 2007 elections, is said to also own substantial shares in Arik Air.Similarly, PDP Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, who was granted a loan of N452,812,809.33 by FinBank Plc, has redeemed N250,000,000 out of his indebtedness, leaving a balance of N139,385,653.16.A source close to the EFCC confirmed that the duo had started repaying their loans to the troubled bank, which offers them the opportunity to enjoy their freedom and also evade prosecution by the anti-graft agency.The CBN Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi announced the sack of five banks executives and their management on friday,14 August, this year. The affected banks are: Oceanic Bank, Intercontinental Bank, Union Bank, Afri Bank and FinBank Plc.The apex bank also appointed a new management for the five banks, which according to the apex bank, were on the brink of collapse.While some of the debtors disputed the loans credited against their names in the CBN list, a few have been paying back in bits.The EFCC has so far arrested over 100 debtors of the troubled banks. Some of the bank executives including Erastus Akingbola of Intercontinental Bank were said to have escaped overseas. But EFCC chairman, Mrs. Farida Waziri said in Lagos last week at a press briefing that the banks’ management and debtors who escaped overseas will be tracked down by International Police (Interpol).However, debtors arrested by the EFCC have been in detention. The anti-graft agency has assured that they will soon face charges of economic sabotage before the courts. By Astro Jewoola Moyo Fabiyi(Culled from PM News)SPECIAL BLOGSFEATURED BLOGS..NOLLYWOOD BLOGS..NETCHURCH BLOGS..GHANA BLOGS..LAGOS BLOGSRead more…
What is your everyday beauty regimen?
I make sure I drink lots of water as soon as I get up in the morning. I usually exfoliate at least twice a week, and I cleanse my face after every shower. I make it a habit to wear very light makeup during the day and keep my hair in an up-do as well.
What is your night-time look?
My night-time look is a bit heavier than my everyday look; my hair is usually down because I love to flaunt my hair, and my makeup is especially heavy around the eyes.
What do you do to take care of your skin?
To ensure that my skin is always glowing, I pay a lot of attention to it by eating lots of vegetables and moisturising with products that contain aloe vera. I also make it a habit of scrubbing regularly.
What are some makeup tips and tricks you learned while competing in beauty pageants?
Being in pageants, I’ve learned a lot about taking care of my skin by effectively moisturising and using lots of sunscreen. I also learnt to go soft on the lips while going for a heavier eye-look, and vice versa.
What are some of your favourite beauty products?
My favourite beauty products are Clarins and La Mer.
What are your three favourite makeup items?
I absolutely cannot do without my Bobby Brown lip gloss palette, Selara floral shimmers, and Neutrogena hand cream.
What is your basic Hair-care regimen?
I wash and condition regularly. I use hair serums for shine, and I always brush my hair to make sure it does not tangle.What is your signature hair-do?
I love hair-dos that are pulled backwards.
What are some of your favourite hair products?
Organics shampoo, mayonnaise, hair fertiliser, carrot oil and Alberto v05.
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Its good to be echoing it in their ears (politicians) every now and then maybe it will reduce their level of coruption.Last week the minister of Aviation gave us primary school mathematics that the Airlines are running flights with great loses by doing bonanza. We know as lay men, those Airlines will never carry a fully booked flight on bonanza, after all 1 of the requirements for this bonanza is booking ahead in 2 weeks and there is no way the flight will carry only ( us ) the poor Nigerians who may not have the right fare to fly. After all on that same flight, there is a 1st class or business class were they ( big men ) pay as high as 36,000. Please let him leave us alone to enjoy this great bonus while it last. He should concentrate on providing quality Aviation infrastructure so we can have a safe Airspace. If it is a "Class" thing, he should also tell us so we can leave the Airports for them (big men). We also know that when ever a poor man smiles,it is an offence to a big man.Austin A
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Norbert Young is a household name in Nigeria. Television viewers will not forget his performance in the now rested soap opera, Checkmate, where he played the role of a university teacher. In that television series, he exposed some of the bad things lecturers do and he was good playing the role.A core professional, Young said that the country would get more mileage if the government would use Nigerian movies, which, according to him, is a veritable vehicle for promotion, to drive the rebranding project.He said that Nollywood, the home video industry, was a concept, unlike Hollywood, which is a city. According to him, the home video industry has done well for the country and should be commended.The actor said: “Nollywood does not exist in terms of the fact that it is not a place. It is a concept. Unlike Hollywood, which is a city, Nollywood is not a city. It is a concept. Whether it is good or not, it exists. It has been there and like any other industry, it has offered people work. A lot of people have been employed; so the point as to whether or not Nollywood is there is irrelevant. It is there. A lot of people have benefited from it and people are still benefiting from it.“Its professionalism or otherwise is not the issue. For me, I have always said that it is not professional, in terms of the fact that the practitioners have refused to go for training. You make it an all-comers affair. That has always been my problem with them, especially, when it comes to acting.”Young however, said that Nollywood has to do more, in terms of acting. Without equivocation, he said: “Their acting is so terrible and just kindergarten-like, but it could be better. It is just that they have refused to apply themselves so as to be better.”He revealed that his desire to see a Nollywood with high standard made him to always talk about professionalism. He said: “I have always emphasized the importance of professional training for Nigerian actors. If you watch Nollywood films, there is only one way of doing it. There is nothing like characterization, for instance. It is only a few of the movies that you could actually find a little of characterization, but most often than not, what you see is always a repeat of same people from one film to the other. They play the same thing. The only difference is that the actors take different names.“Since Nollywood was established, I have often said that people should go for professional training. You see, most Nigerians think that you don’t need to learn anything. You can just do anything without training. I guess that’s one of the reasons we are where we are. I have often emphasized this. They know and this stance has pitted me against them.”He said that in an industry, where professionalism is brought to bear, actors do things according to laid down standards. He lamented that the country’s actors and actresses some time want their will to be done because they are not professionals.Young said: “It is so bad that there have been cases where actors insist on wearing what they want. They choose and insist on the kind of costume they want. So, that is the cause of lack of professionalism. If you want to do a production, as a director, you must have a production concept. Your production must have a design. Everything that would support the design must fall in line. But you know, the kind of actors we have would insist on doing their own make-ups. They insist on what they want, insist on the clothes to wear and it is allowed.“But in other settings, you cannot dream of doing that, let alone doing it. They are so many other flaws that you can talk about, but what I am particular about is the acting. It is appalling. However, there has been a little bit of improvement in certain areas. There are still shortfalls in the costuming, make-up and the rest. But even then, there are improvements. For instance, there is character costume and ordinary costume. I doubt if many would know this in the industry.”Explaining the technicalities of film production, he said there is need to depict situations with the setting and dressing. He lamented that some of these are missing in the country’s film industry.“Again, you see, part of this is the problem of professionalism. Some scenes are supposed to have moods that will suit the theme of the movie. In a sober mood, like mourning mood, for instance, if you have to come to that place gorgeously dressed, it must be for an effect. This must be part of the plot, but if you come to the place dressed gorgeously and every other person is dressed in mourning cloths, then it spoils the mood because instead of enhancing the plot, it would diminish it.Our actors, especially the actresses, choose what they wear. It is not their business what the production design is,” he said.On the glorification of crime in home video, he said: “Well, I will answer it this way. First, what is the motivation for doing a movie? It is for fun? Is it to teach or show the way forward? You see, America makes a lot of films on crime but you forget again, to mention that at the end of the day, the criminal is always brought to justice. It looks like our people embellish crime. In cinematography, you have an objective so that when it falls, it will be a big fall and it will make an impact. Now, what is your motive? They think about making money from negative crime plots and forget about communal development, developing the society. I think we should be looking for films to help us develop society.Take the film, Air force One, for example. For me, that is a great film. If you show it to the American President, he will see it as good act because it will tell the President, CIA and everybody that nobody is safe, as they think. Somebody just sat down and put it together. We can do films like that, not necessarily about the president but about something that would develop our country. I have not seen any movie on safety. Neither have I seen any on safety in industries or factories and the rest. Those things are good and can sell too. And most of these crime-based movies are not crimes being committed in Nigeria. So, I don’t know what their motivation really is.”Young said that the good side of culture should be played up in films instead of always showing the negatives. According to him, “a situation where some one is unjustly accused of something and she simply cries away without putting up any form of defence does not make sense. He doesn’t even make any attempt to defend himself. Things are not done that way. We do not live like that. For me, that is a very lazy and cheap way of telling a story. You could do it better.”The actor was not disappointed about Nigeria’s performance at the last AMAA awards. He said that more entries came from other parts of Africa, emphasizing: “I don’t even know if they shot on video or celluloid; I mean the other African countries. Well, if you shoot on celluloid, you can’t compare the quality with video. So maybe, that’s what the Kenyans did. And whoever does that is a professional. He is not a roadside actor or a roadside cameraman or a roadside director. You dare not go to celluloid if you are not a professional. You can’t try it.“If they won all these awards, first of all, I think the scope was broader, maybe more entries came in and then, the judges may have found the quality of works from other countries better than ours. In whatever way, I think that was responsible for it. In any case, it doesn’t mean that Nigerians must only win. Maybe, they had better productions. It is even good they chose Funke for Best Actress. Maybe, they did not judge the technical aspect, but her acting. I think it is good that she won.”What does Young think about the rebranding project? His reaction is simply: “What are we re-branding?” he said the government should do more than just image laundering. According to him, “the outside world knows that you are not doing anything. See the money being spent on text messages of “Nigeria, great country, good people.” It is a lot of money that could be put into infrastructure. But suppose we put part of the resources into making electricity work? Won’t we be better for it? Let us know what we are re-branding. Let us see that things are changing and then, we are realigning or re-orientating ourselves in that direction.“It is a good idea to put it in the psyche of Nigerians to be patriotic. Let us work together and make it well, but we should get infrastructure right. There are no good roads, no electricity; nothing. So what are we selling? The little knowledge, I have had about advertising is that when rebranding, it means that you have improved the brand. You are now relaunching it into the market. So you put forward the unique selling points. But what are we putting forward? What are we re-branding? Are we re-branding no electricity, water or good roads?”Hw however said that if the rebranding concept is sellable movies should be employed to make it happen. “Movies have a role to play. Movies are the vehicles with which you can convey it to people on a wide spectrum, on a broadcast level. Movies have a big role to play,” he said.The actor would want the government to do something to boost the movie industry. He however, says that it is not government business to produce movies but that programme could be enhanced with movies.He said: “Government can say, for example, in this re-branding, can you package this film in this direction? Government can call producers and get actors to do something for it. People will reap the benefit of their works. That’s what I think government can to. The census board is supposed to be a regulatory body to censor, but what I don’t agree with is the selective censorship. What they should do is to classify movies accordingly. But sometimes, I hear that censor’s board expunge certain things from movies. It is supposed to be a regulatory body. They should work within the confine of what should be done to improve acting.”Young said that he is helping the movie industry with his training school and workshops he regularly runs.He said: I teach acting. I teach people everything. It is Body, Voice and All. I have a stage for stage acting. All materials are available for those who are interested in acting. We do both theoretical and practical aspects of acting. It is like what I did for AMBO house in 2007. I taught them the rudiments of acting. It is the kind of contribution I ‘d like to make to the industry. It is a noble thing to be in the arts. I enjoy it and I enjoy teaching people. Anybody who is interested in learning acting should come to our school.”
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Pastors Divided Over Sack Of Ighodalo
While the General Superintendent, Deeper Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi and the General Overseer, Four Square Gospel Church, Reverend Wilson Badejo, say that divorce is unscriptural and Christians who choose the path of divorce should not be pampered, other pastors say a man of God is free, according to a biblical injunction, to divorce his wife and remarry in the case of adultery.
“I don’t think it was right for pastor Adeboye to ask Pastor Ighodalo to resign because he remarried a second time. This matter is not to be looked at the way we want, but to see it the way the Word of God sees it. 1Tim 3:2 says that a bishop must be a man of one wife, and Jesus Christ said in Math 19:9, a man should put away his wife if she commits adultery! So if this woman had left her husband for ten years and had been living with another man, this pastor is free by the word of God to put her away and get married again,” Pastor Azuka of Faithword Ministry said.
According to Pastor Badejo, only death can separate a Christian couple.
Speaking on the sack of Pastor Ighodalo, the General Overseer of Foursquare Gospel Church, Rev. Wilson Badejo said the church has its policies that must be adhered to strictly.
“You are talking of somebody who was told that if you remarry, you cannot fit into our mould again. In the Catholic Church, for instance, you cannot marry at all if you want to be a reverend father or what we call priest. The moment you make up your mind to become a reverend father in the Catholic Church, you are bound by the law of celibacy.
The Pastor who was asked to step down saga continiues .I dug up this 2004 Interview and it was made clear that Pastor Ituah had intentions to remarry.So this controversy brings two scriptures to mind.
1.If he was wrong then Is forgiveness only for the members of a church and not the leaders ?
2.What exactly did Pastor Ighodalo do wrong ? He Remarried and moved on ! Or he married a lady old enough to be his daughter ?
3.How many such Pastors are living separated when they are in Obvious failed Relationships It is one thing to marry .Another to keep the relationship going . (It is no longer news that the man of God Pastor Chris Oyakhilome does not "live" with his wife ) You might hate me for saying this but this is the cold FACT. IF i was he I would not go on pretending .This Grace is also for Pastors too. Remember the Bakkers and Ted Haggard !IF this holier than thou attitude that pervades N.igerias Churches was a reflection of the actual Situation .N.ig.eri.a would be the holiest place to live in the world !
According to the online representations of RCCG ChristChurch Pastor Itua is still represented kampe as the pastor of the Church.I wonder what the hullabaloo is all about then except they forgot to pay their webmaster .
4.Is it stipulated anywhere in the Bible the Age range a person or should i say a Divorced pastor Should marry ? If Ibidun is old enough to be his daughter Is it any of your business ? Was David a Man of God ? Even on his death bed Abishag the Shunamite "warmed" it for him .In those days there were no heaters or hot water bottles !Beautiful Ibidun Ajayi, former Miss Lux, as stunning as she looks, and as young as she is,ended up marrying a divorcee pastor, and is in his Early 50's.
We have biblical support to back the prevailing circumstance. When you read I Corinthians 7, that if your wife separates from you, it should be for a while and you should be rejoined together so that you are not tempted beyond measure.But if She separates from you and gets married How long should you wait for her before Body becomes firewood ?
2004 Interview Adapted from Thisday Archives
A Pastor, Accountant and Social Critic at Dire Straits with the LAW
Pastor Ituah Ighodalo is a Chattered Accountant and Chairman, Ighodalo & Co (Chattered Accountants). However, Ighodalo is more known for pastoring a fast growing parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, in Gbagada Estate, Lagos. In a chat with Mary Ekah and Idowu Sowunmi, the pastor spoke about his life as a Pastor, as an Accountant and the state of the nation.
omitted
Can you take us back to your childhood experience?
I was born in the city of Ibadan on April 6, 1961. My father was a Chartered Secretary but worked most of his life in government. First, in the Mid-Western region and then at the University of Ibadan as Assistant Deputy Bursar in the Accounts Department.
Where exactly are you from?
I am actually from Ishan in Edo State, which is where my father is from. My mother is from a little village called Oke Igbo in Ondo state. omitted ...
Are you married?
I was married but I'm no longer married right now.
Why?
My wife left two years into the marriage. I think somehow, we couldn't make it.
Are you planning to get married to somebody else?
I think so, but (that is) when I am bold enough to do so.
But the Bible says that you can't be married to another person as long as your spouse is alive?
The same Bible also says that in case of fornication, you are excused. My ex-wife has married and has a child for somebody else. So I stand on this scriptural ground.
What is delaying your getting married again?
Two things, one I have been working very hard doing God's work and I have been praying and believing God for the right person.But you are not a full-time Pastor?
I am not full time in the sense of it because I combine my pastorate job with my profession. I give the fullest of my time to my pastoring work, as I am highly engaged in the work of God. There are some of my colleagues who do that too and they benefit from the mission but I don't take salary,
Omitted ... it has become a part of me. And I see both my profession and my pastoral work as a ministry.
Is your being a Pastor a matter of 'choice' or 'calling'?
Well, the calling to a Pastor is a calling from God. The choice of combining my callings with my profession is my choice. You may then say that maybe I haven't heard a definite voice from God to do one or the other but right now, I have chosen to combine both. omitted ..
Christ Church as a parish of RCCG is doing exceedingly well. Do you see a situation where there may arise a rift between your parish and the National Headquarters?
Definitely, not with the National Secretariat.(The Council of elders were purpoted to have championed his "dismissal" as The General Overseer had turned Ighodalo into a Joseph Child of sorts and was know to be very dear to his heart. so an opportunity to sell him to the midianites was not ignored .) The prayer of the leader of RCCG is that every parish should grow and do very well. And we have as the head of RCCG, a man with great foresight that wants the church to be great. So he gives a lot of leeway and latitude for us to express ourselves. Just live a holy life, preach the word of God, remain humble and make sure you celebrate Jesus and keep the word as far as you can go. So there is no rivalry at all and there would never be in the name of Jesus because we are working for the same master.
How did you become a Christian and, then, a pastor?
You see, God is an amazing and incredible being. I never intended to be a pastor, I can assure you. I did not know what it meant to be a pastor. Although, sometime in the past, I remember saying that after crossing 40, I would go to church and become a lay reader so as to denounce my sins. It was just a wishful thinking. I was enjoying myself in Lagos, doing all sorts of things. I am sure by then, God must have been laughing at me. Then I was doing well in business, seriously progressing, but when at a certain stage of my life I knew I was doing well but I was not happy, life was meaninglessness even after making a lot of money. So the meaninglessness of my life brought in fear, anxiety and frustration. I then decided that my life must find meaning because I was always tensed, nervous, anxious and afraid and these made me unhappy. So one day, I said prayerfully to myself that if God was there, He should prove himself to me and that was when God came into my life in a way that I know it was truly God. I discovered that on that particular day, people I did not even know were just talking to me about Jesus. So twelve years ago, I decided to give my life to Jesus because I had done a lot of other things, which didn't help my situation then. Omitted ..
Before long, I found myself in Denmark, Germany and United States starting Churches as a missionary. I came back to Lagos and before long, somebody said come and be in charge of Christ Church Parish. God led me on the journey step-by-step, precept-by-precept and day-by-day.
How large is your congregation right now?
We are about a thousand and eight hundred.
With all these tasks, do you still find time to relax?
My job and ministry, to me, is just like leisure. When you have a passion for something, it is not a task but pleasure. I tell people that I will pay to do what I am doing right now. So I find my ministry very interesting, with no stress. I relax spending time with God. Once in a while, I try to jog. I also have a group of old friends with whom I hang around and chat with and when I shut down, I shut down.
http://www.thisdayonline.com/archive/2004/10/16/20041016plu04.html
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Posted by 9jabook.com on August 29, 2009 at 4:30am
Not fewer than 5 people were feared dead in Owode-Langbasa Aja area of Lagos State, after eating yam flower popularly known as Amala, in anticipation to begin their Ramadan fast in the early hours of Friday.
we gathered that one of the victims after consuming the toxic amala died on the spot while others gave up the ghost on the way when good Samaritans were trying to take them to the hospital for revival. Over 20 others were rushed to different hospitals, while some were placed on danger list at Akodo general hospital of Lagos State. Family members, friends and sympathizers waiting endlessly outside the hospitals, while medical experts are still trying to safe the lives of those victims who are still alive.
The black Friday had about 25 Muslim faithful who gathered at the residence of a prominent Islamic philanthropist in Aja at the early hours of Friday for Ramadan prayers, which has often been the practice for 5 years. But little do they know that untimely death would take its wrath on them after eating the amala meal.
Some of the surviving victims who are still groaning in pains in the hospitals shared their ordeal. ‘‘Immediately some us ate that food we went back to sleep and all of a sudden I saw others groaning in pain someone even died instantly, then I began to feel uncomfortable, I quickly drank palm oil and I dipped my hand in my throat and I threw up, and here I am now still battling with survival, the pain is too much.’’
Also, the woman that prepared the food who was also a victim of this food poison lying at the hospital bed, said she bought the flour at Mushin market in Lagos and that she could not understand what actually went wrong. Although the people in the area have denied any foul play over these ugly and unprecedented misfortunes.
The hospitals key medical personnel Dr Tunde Palomeras and Dr Imosimi Donald confirmed that it was a case of food poison and that they will deploy all necessary resources and expertise to ensure that no further lost of life is recorded. One will recall that a bizarre Poisonous killer beans in 1996 was reported in Lagos, when vendors claimed the reports carried in the press, are a plot to reduce the price of the commodity, which is the main source of protein for poor Nigerians. But most people in the three south-western states of Lagos, Ogun and Oyo stopped the consumption of beans that time.
Amala is one of Nigeria’s staple food and it’s a cherished delicacy among Africans and other parts of the world, especially when it goes with the right soup, but with this latest unfolding pattern where it now mysteriously claims lives, no one knows how safe the next meal of amala could possibly be, only God can tell.
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The recent death of Lekan Benson Adelaja and others in boats mishap in a Lagos community, just seven days after his wedding, has generated many controversies between his family and his wife’s. Adewale Ajayi reports.
When the family of Benson Adelaja gathered on August 1 to consummate the marriage of their son, Lekan to Sunbo in Ikenne, Ogun State, they never knew that the joy of their son getting married would be short-lived .
The family never had any inkling that the husband would die a week after his wedding, although there was a spiritual warning handed over to Lekan’s mother that his son should not travel out of his town Sagamu, Ogun State, some days after his wedding, a warning which his mother was said to have repeated to him.
On August 7, a Friday , Lekan was said to have left Sagamu to attend a party organised by his boss somewhere in Ajah , Eti Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State.
He was said to have travelled in company of his wife, younger sister, two of his friends , and his boss’s wife, who was said to have been picked up in Ikorodu for the trip. They drove to Baiyeku, in Ikorodu Local Government Area, and decided to make the rest of the trip by canoe , which transports people from that area to Ajah and Langbasa.
Lekan parked his car, a metallic colour Honda Accord with registration number KC 906 KJA by the shore of the river, and off they went. Less than 10 minutes after, the canoe left the shore and, still within the vicinity of the shore, capsized , it ran into strong ocean waves , which damaged the steering of the boat engine. The canoe capsized, , throwing its about 26 passengers overboard.
The sailor of another canoe, which had six passengers had, on the scene of the accident, attempted to rescue the passengers of the capsized canoe. But that also capsized, and the passengers in the two canoes were discharged into the lagoon.
With the assistance of fishermen, divers and marine policemen that came on board, some passengers were rescued, among whom was Lekan. He, however, took a plunge into the lagoon when his wife, Sunbo, was not found. Eventually, his wife was rescued, and a search for him and others continued.
On that day, five people were said to have been rescued alive, out of whom two dropped dead before medical aid could reach them, while five corpses were also said to have been brought out of the lagoon, including that of a woman with a baby strapped to her back. The baby was still alive. Of the three rescued, one survivor was said to have swam to the shore.
The rescue operation was put on hold till the next day , which was a Saturday, exactly a week after Lekan consummated his marriage to Sunbo.
The salvage operation was put on hold because it was assumed that the victims would have died, as they had not been found three hours after the incident, and that their corpses would be found floating on the river by the next day.
On Saturday, the environment became tense; the entire community was in a mournful mood, as friends and relatives of those who came in search of their loved ones bewailed their loss.
Friends of Lekan from Ijagba, in Sagamu, Ogun State, besieged the town, demanding for explanations on why such a thing should happen to their pal, and blaming the boat operators for failing to provide safety measures like life jackets for their passengers .
They wondered why such a thing should happen to him barely a week after his marriage. While some wailed to register their displeasure, others threatened to set ablaze, the houses in the community. Though they were prevented from doing that, the canoe operators’ office was not spared. It was vandalised, and the locally-made life jackets hung on the wall were destroyed and thrown into the lagoon.
Those whose relatives were yet to be found were seen moving up and down the shore of the lagoon with drawn faces, while others glued their eyes to the lagoon, perhaps probing it for swallowing their loved ones.
On the third day of the incident, a Sunday, six swollen corpses were found. Among them was Lekan’s, his friend’s and his sister-in-law’s. The atmosphere became charged, as members of his family became enraged, blaming his wife for contributing to his death, arguing that if he had not taken the risk of plunging into the lagoon , in search of the wife, he would probably have been alive today.
The two families that had, a week earlier, exchanged pleasantries when giving out their children in marriage , suddenly became enemies , and Lekan’s friends threatened to beat them up. It took the intervention of members of Baiyeku community and the policemen drafted to the town to restore order.
In line with the Yoruba tradition , to the effect that anyone who dies in a river , lagoon , sea or brook should be buried at its bank , it was unanimously agreed that the corpses be buried at the bank of the lagoon .
In other to scare the women and other lily-livered men away from the burial site, the Oro (traditional ritual which women were forbidden to watch) was invoked, while the corpses were ferried to the portion earmarked for their burial with a boat, and the corpses floated on the lagoon, tied to the canoe.
It was an emotion-laden event, as relatives of the deceased wept , as the corpses were being pulled from the lagoon into their grave.
Commenting on the incident, Mr Kunle Jegede, who claimed to have been traveling to Ajah on boat en route Baiyeku in the last seven years, said the boat operators should be blamed for the incident, because many of them usually overloaded their boats and failed to provide life jackets for their passengers.
He explained that government should also share part of the blame , explaining that despite the approval given to the boat operators by the government, they were not being properly monitored. He explained further that the boat in question had once been involved in an accident at Majidun, near Ikorodu town, and that this was why it was barred from loading in the area, and was eventually taken to Baiyeku .
Another boat operator in Baiyeku, Mr. Segun Omogunle, said officials of the Lagos State Water Traffic Management Authority (LASTWA) had, on many occasions, arrested the boat operators, and that in the last one year, they have been arrested more than 20 times for failing to comply with laid-down regulations for operation.
He explained that on one occasion, the marine police impounded three of the boats because they lacked the necessary facilities, and they had to bribe the police with N60,000 before the boats were released .
Speaking on the development, the head of the community, Chief Kehinde Ogunyera, said such a sad incident had never occurred in the past 70 years of his existence. He explained that the council of chiefs in the community usually took time off to monitor the activities of the boat operators, and that they usually complied with the conditions and rules given to them.
He said they never overloaded their boats, as claimed by some people, and that the life jackets they used were the brand recommended for them, and were not inferior as claimed .
Chief Ogunyera stated that, many times , the passengers refused to wear life jacket given to them , giving the excuse that they might contact disease by wearing it , because people afflicted with a disease might have worn it before.
A spiritual dimension was, however, introduced by some people, who blamed the community for failing to make sacrifices to the water goddess, arguing that the river goddess was probably angry. Some blamed Lekan for refusing to abide by the spiritual instruction given to him through his mother, which forbade him from going out of his town, Sagamu, for some days.
Buttressing that fact, Lekan’s boss, Chief Muyideen Oladegun, said although Lekan had been travelling on that lagoon for over seven years, and that he and Lekan used that route many times, he had warned him against attending the ill-fated party, having earlier on reminded him of the spiritual message which forbade him from going out of his town for some days after his wedding.
While those who lost their loved ones are bemoaning their ill-fortune, it is necessary for the state government, which has made known its intention to popularize water transportation, to make sure that most of the private boat operators who are given approval are closely monitored, to prevent tragedies such as the one that claimed passengers.
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Posted by 9jabook.com on August 26, 2009 at 11:27pm
By Kingsley Ighowenghian, Wale Igbintade and Tunde Opeseitan, Lagos
* Arrests Intercontinental Bank Chairman, Obieri
* Court Orders Release Of Nwosu, Adigwe
* Grants Ibru Leave To Enforce Rights
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman, Farida Waziri, has disclosed that the detained bank executives will be arraigned soon, because "it is within the law for every Nigerian to seek legal redress against perceived wrong but we want to counsel the Bench not to consider any frivolous interlocutory application from bank debtors at this particular point in time."
She confirmed on Tuesday at a press conference in Lagos that the EFCC has arrested Intercontinental Bank Chairman, Raymond Obieri, and two other non-Executive Directors of the bank.
Others being held include Samuel Adegbite, Toyin Phillips, Sani Adams, Bayo Dada, John Maha, Jibrin Isah, and Dayo Famoroti, Henry Onyemen, Niyi Opeodo, and Peter Ololo.
She said their offences range from money laundering, advancing loans under fictitious conditions, and conspiracy involving huge sums.
According to her, the banks are listed as granting a total N747 billion non-performing loans by May 31, the day the tenure of Chukwuma Soludo expired as Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor.
She added that she met on Tuesday with all the new bank Managing Directors (MDs) to prepare a final list of loan defaulters.
Waziri disclosed that a court order has been obtained to detain the suspects beyond 48 hours, because their alleged offences are far beyond civil matters.
She said many bank executives are holding meetings and strategising to escape arrest and prosecution for their economic crimes.
Waziri did not state the amount recovered from bank debtors, only saying: "The figure is impressive, and we are compiling the amount, which will be released soon."
She said some debtors are still running around to pay up, and if they fail to do so, "All defaulters will be arraigned as conspirators alongside the bank chiefs."
Waziri accused those involved of economic sabotage, and pledged that the EFCC would not allow them to escape with their loots.
She urged all stakeholders to co-operate with the EFCC as it goes after loan defaulters.
However, judicial reprieve has come for former Finbank MD, Okey Nwosu, and former Afribank MD, Sebastian Adigwe, as a Lagos High Court on Tuesday ordered the EFCC to release them on bail.
They were detained eight days ago, over allegations of financial misappropriation in their former banks, sequel to their sack on August 14 by the CBN.
Also fired were the MDs of three other banks - Erastus Akingbola (Intercontinental), Cecilia Ibru (Oceanic), and Barth Ebong (Union)
Both Akingbola and Ibru have not reported to the EFCC for questioning.
Ebong is still in detention along with about 15 MDs of the subsidiaries of the five troubled banks, and others arrested in the latest raid.
On Tuesday, the court restrained the EFCC from engaging in any act that could undermine or jeopardise the rights of Nwosu and Adigwe to freedom as stipulated in the Constitution.
Justice Raliat Adebiyi also directed the applicants to serve the EFCC with all the processes at its Lagos office not later than seven days.
Wole Olanipekun, counsel for Nwosu and Adigwe, while moving the application for bail argued that their detention beyond the legal period violated their fundamental human rights.
He said despite the fact that his clients met the conditions for the administrative bail granted them by the EFCC, it refused to release them.
In the main suit, Nwosu and Adigwe are seeking N50 billion damages each against the EFCC and a public apology for the violation of their fundamental human rights.
They also want a declaration of the court that:
"The acts of the (EFCC) founded on the highly publicised purported order of removal issued by the (CBN) on the basis of the conclusions/recommendations of a purported special examination report of the (CBN) which the applicants were never availed the opportunity to rebut and particularly the arrest and detention were unlawful, are unconstitutional and a gross breach of the doctrine of fair hearing as in the Constitution."
Adebiyi also granted Ibru the leave to enforce her fundamental human rights against the EFCC.
Ibru through her counsel, Niyi Akintola, filed two ex-parte applications against the EFCC and joined as co-respondents, the federal Attorney General and Justice Minister, Inspector General of Police, State Security Services (SSS) Director General, and the CBN Governor.
Adebiyi granted some of the requests of Ibru.
He also directed that Ibru should serve the court process on the co-respondents while EFCC should be served directly.
"Leave of the court is granted for the accelerated hearing of the applications. Leave is also granted to (Ibru) to enforce her fundamental human rights against the respondents," he ruled.
Adebiyi ordered that Ibru should not be harassed, intimidated or embarrassed by the respondents, and that she should not be subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment that would be inconsistent with Section 34 of the Constitution
But the court stressed that it could not restrain or prevent the EFCC from performing its statutory functions, saying if it wants to investigate or arrest Ibru, it should do so within the confines of Section 35 of the Constitution.
The case was adjourned to September 7 for hearing.
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Some hair-splitting wonk has just told me that nothing good can come out of a breakup.
“When you break up, your whole identity is shattered — you are no longer alive.”
As you can tell, gross exaggerations are the stepping-stones of her existence. Typical romantic. Of course no one is entirely pleased with breakups. They are probably the only things, except the naked shock of seeing Madonna’s new arms, that the whole world might ever have in common. Still, like the arms, I find them reassuring, commendable — a sign of consistency. Like debt and corruption.
A friend of mine just broke up with his girlfriend for reasons of a tribal nature. You know, the sort that a couple might have after years together in a faraway kingdom, only to come back to Lagos, have your parents disapprove, turn into a whimpering coward, afraid to offend mummy and daddy and KAPOW! Your story ends up in front of a Sunday blog. Yes, that sort. It seemed utterly tragic.
Yet, I felt no sympathy.
Not because of the whole, “I’m a lily-livered tribalist” part. If I went round hating every tribalist, I’d be out of friends. My friend Ada, often the purveyor of most of American culture, is the most stringent relationship tribalist I know. For her, it’s strictly Ibo. Enugu, if you can swing it. But she’ll settle for the eastern less if things get desperate.
So, if anything, I find the whole tribalist “culture polarisation” thing a little charming in that whole “wear one designer, trend or colour head to toe” sort of way. I’d never be caught in it but, hey, whatever floats your boat.
But I digress. I felt no sympathy because everything about it seemed so painstakingly cliché. I’d heard the “she wasn’t Yoruba” line before. Boohoo! Look at me; I’m a victim of tribalism. Woe is me. Sorry, mate. You’re hardly unique — everyone is doing that one these days: breaking up or not dating because of tribal pressure. “I love ankara kimonos, Eurasian cuisine but I could never date a Caucasian.”
As it happens, the only thing that did go through my head was: who was it? Who was the tyrant who devised most of those clichéd breakup lines? “It’s not you. It’s me”, “I’m in love with your best friend and I just want to be happy”, “I need to find myself”, “I’m gay”. Seriously? Who? No cliché woke up one morning and decided, today I begin life as a cliché. Some awful series of coincidences led it down that path.
I contend that it generally starts as a heartfelt gesture. Which probably drew tears from the first recipient’s eyes. The first man that said, “I need space” was probably an artist who actually genuinely needed space. Creative space. A large white room where he could paint. But the bugger at the next table also initiating a break up, heard it, thought to himself “why hadn’t I thought of that?” and promptly used it. Suddenly, three centuries later, we have a cliché.
This is not a story that saddens me. There’s comfort in knowing those clichéd lines and stories once had some sentimental value. In fact, I hope that one day, a breakup cliché that has been used on me will somehow get transformed into a movie. It’s every dumped person’s dream. To see a movie called I CAN’T DO THIS ANYMORE. How can you hate something you can turn into a pointless audio book, a movie or a platinum selling album?
There’s also the autopsy; the unbearable ritual of getting over the heartache by living through the pain, ladled with raw emotions, begging to be debauched, recycled or sedated. I’m with sedation. The dignity that accompanies a silent mourner is something we can all learn from. I remind my friends, the kindest ones I have, that whenever the opportunity arises, especially in a time after I might have lost count of how many breakups I have been through, I sure hope they will be refined enough to sedate me, lock me in my room with a spectacular choice of alcoholic beverages and Wole Soyinka’s indecipherable play Mad Men and Specialists.
But people don’t seem keen on that sangfroid building solution. We’re more likely to engage either in the less terrible debauchery or in the new age ritual of hauling friends out for a night out only to drone on with the drably details of your once blissful union. The same friends who weren’t invited along for the thrills of the dating.
Why in the good lord’s holy name would you think they’d be up for listening to you go on about how you couldn’t see a future with her? Truly baffling.
And after hours of hmms and ahhs, pretending to be listening and mourning the death of a relationship, you get a call at 3 o’clock in the morning from the same tribalist friend
I’ve decided to give it another go.
Couldn’t this have waited till morning?
I mean, we’re still broken up but we’ll just see how it goes.
And the tribal situation? Your father shouting Biafra?
We’ll deal with it somehow. Not sure it’s wise to let go just yet.
But why? What’s wrong with some alone time, even if its five years long? I call it self-loving. You develop some new habits, like laughing loudly at your own jokes, finding time to watch all those TV shows and being comfortable with talking to yourself in public or coming up with reasons why white is black.
Exactly, Rukks. Most People call that depressing or at best, madness. I’ll rather “go with the flow”
Suddenly, I remembered what it is I hate about break ups.
It’s a dying sport. No one ever does it properly anymore. The world is full of people “going with the flow”.
by Rukky Ladoja
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Posted by 9jabook.com on August 26, 2009 at 4:32am
Mrs. Cecilia Ibru is now in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after surrendering to Economic and Financial Crimes Commision officials at 3PM today
Rumours that Mrs. Ibru had fled the country like counterpart Erastus Akingbola of InterContinental bank. She had earlier been declared wanted by the EFCC, and had gone underground,where she began a lawsuit that legal sources said gave her enough confidence to meet officials at their Ikoyi Lagos Office where The Agency has moved shop to ferret out the banking "criminals"
EFCC officials made mention to our sources that Cecelia Ibru is under lock and key and about to be questioned .
We await futher details on the hour
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Posted by 9jabook.com on August 26, 2009 at 4:08am
Software giant Microsoft has apologised for editing a photo to change a black man's head to that of a white man.
The picture, showing employees sitting around a desk, appeared unaltered on the firm's US website.
But on the website of its Polish business unit the black man's head was replaced with a white face, although the colour of his hands was unchanged.
Microsoft said it had pulled the image and would be investigating who made the changes. It apologised for the gaffe.
The altered image, which also featured an Asian man and a white woman, was quickly circulated online.
Bloggers have had a field day with the story, with some suggesting Microsoft was attempting to please all markets by having a man with both a white face and a black hand.
"The white head and black hand actually symbolise interracial harmony. It is supposed to show that a person can be white and black, old and young at the same time," said one blogger on the Photoshop Disasters blog.
Others have suggested the ethnic mix of the Polish population may have played a part in the decision to change the photo.
Windows of these times ? yeah !
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Facebook, for better or worse, is like being at a big party with all your friends, family, acquaintances and co-workers.There are lots of fun, interesting people you're happy to talk to when they stroll up. Then there are the other people, the ones who make you cringe when you see them coming. This article is about those people.
Sure, Facebook can be a great tool for keeping up with folks who are important to you. Take the status update, the 160-character message that users post in response to the question, "What's on your mind?" An artful, witty or newsy status update is a pleasure -- a real-time, tiny window into a friend's life.
But far more posts read like navel-gazing diary entries, or worse, spam. A recent study categorized 40 percent of Twitter tweets as "pointless babble," and it wouldn't be surprising if updates on Facebook, still a fast-growing social network, break down in a similar way. Take a CNN quiz: What kind of Facebooker are you? »
Combine dull status updates with shameless self-promoters, "friend-padders" and that friend of a friend who sends you quizzes every day, and Facebook becomes a daily reminder of why some people can get on your nerves. Watch as Facebookers reveal bugbears »
Here are 12 of the most annoying types of Facebook users:
The Let-Me-Tell-You-Every-Detail-of-My-Day Bore. "I'm waking up." "I had Wheaties for breakfast." "I'm bored at work." "I'm stuck in traffic." You're kidding! How fascinating! No moment is too mundane for some people to broadcast unsolicited to the world. Just because you have 432 Facebook friends doesn't mean we all want to know when you're waiting for the bus.
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The Self-Promoter. OK, so we've probably all posted at least once about some achievement. And sure, maybe your friends really do want to read the fascinating article you wrote about beet farming. But when almost EVERY update is a link to your blog, your poetry reading, your 10k results or your art show, you sound like a bragger or a self-centered careerist.
The Friend-Padder. The average Facebook user has 120 friends on the site. Schmoozers and social butterflies -- you know, the ones who make lifelong pals on the subway -- might reasonably have 300 or 400. But 1,000 "friends?" Unless you're George Clooney or just won the lottery, no one has that many. That's just showing off.
The Town Crier. "Michael Jackson is dead!!!" You heard it from me first! Me, and the 213,000 other people who all saw it on TMZ. These Matt Drudge wannabes are the reason many of us learn of breaking news not from TV or news sites but from online social networks. In their rush to trumpet the news, these people also spread rumors, half-truths and innuendo. No, Jeff Goldblum did not plunge to his death from a New Zealand cliff.
The TMIer. "Brad is heading to Walgreens to buy something for these pesky hemorrhoids." Boundaries of privacy and decorum don't seem to exist for these too-much-information updaters, who unabashedly offer up details about their sex lives, marital troubles and bodily functions. Thanks for sharing.
The Bad Grammarian. "So sad about Fara Fauset but Im so gladd its friday yippe". Yes, I know the punctuation rules are different in the digital world. And, no, no one likes a spelling-Nazi schoolmarm. But you sound like a moron.
The Sympathy-Baiter. "Barbara is feeling sad today." "Man, am I glad that's over." "Jim could really use some good news about now." Like anglers hunting for fish, these sad sacks cast out their hooks -- baited with vague tales of woe -- in the hopes of landing concerned responses. Genuine bad news is one thing, but these manipulative posts are just pleas for attention.
The Lurker. The Peeping Toms of Facebook, these voyeurs are too cautious, or maybe too lazy, to update their status or write on your wall. But once in a while, you'll be talking to them and they'll mention something you posted, so you know they're on your page, hiding in the shadows. It's just a little creepy.
The Crank. These curmudgeons, like the trolls who spew hate in blog comments, never met something they couldn't complain about. "Carl isn't really that impressed with idiots who don't realize how idiotic they are." [Actual status update.] Keep spreading the love.
The Paparazzo. Ever visit your Facebook page and discover that someone's posted a photo of you from last weekend's party -- a photo you didn't authorize and haven't even seen? You'd really rather not have to explain to your mom why you were leering like a drunken hyena and French-kissing a bottle of Jagermeister.
The Obscurist. "If not now then when?" "You'll see..." "Grist for the mill." "John is, small world." "Dave thought he was immune, but no. No, he is not." [Actual status updates, all.] Sorry, but you're not being mysterious -- just nonsensical.
The Chronic Inviter. "Support my cause. Sign my petition. Play Mafia Wars with me. Which 'Star Trek' character are you? Here are the 'Top 5 cars I have personally owned.' Here are '25 Things About Me.' Here's a drink. What drink are you? We're related! I took the 'What President Are You?' quiz and found out I'm Millard Fillmore! What president are you?"
You probably mean well, but stop. Just stop. I don't care what president I am -- can't we simply be friends? Now excuse me while I go post the link to this story on my Facebook page.
SO WHICH ONE ARE YOU ON 9jabook.com !
I amj all of the above !
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Posted by 9jabook.com on August 25, 2009 at 11:12pm
U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy, the elder statesman of America's most famous political family, is dead at the age of 77 (born 2/22/32) after a battle with brain cancer. He was the youngest brother of slain President John Kennedy. The life of the Massachusetts' Democrat was marked by both achievement and controversy.
Senator Kennedy was a champion of liberal causes, and over the course of his Senate career sponsored legislation that fundamentally altered worker rights, education funding, foreign policy and immigration law. His niece - President Kennedy's daughter, Caroline Kennedy - says her uncle was an inspiration to her family.
"For more than four decades in the Senate, Teddy has led the fight on the most important issues of our time: civil rights, social justice, and economic opportunity," she said.
Senator Kennedy was a vocal critic of Bush administration policies in Iraq, its stand on interrogation techniques used on suspected terrorists and its prosecution of the war on terror. In an interview with CBS in 2007, Kennedy underscored his opposition to the war in Iraq.
"I voted against the war, it was the best vote that I cast in the United States Senate. This was the wrong war at the wrong time," he said.
But Kennedy was also known to cross party lines to forge legislative deals with Republicans. In 2008, Kennedy saw an agent of change in Senator Barack Obama and became one of the first prominent Democrats to endorse Obama's bid for the party's nomination for president.
"My friends, I ask you to join in this historic journey to have the courage to choose change," he said. "It is time again for a new generation of leadership. It is time now for Barack Obama!"
Kennedy was elected to the Senate in 1962, the year before the assassination of President Kennedy. The senator offered a eulogy:
"My brother need not be idealized or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life. He should be remembered simply as a good and decent man who saw wrong and tried to right it," he said.
In 1968, Robert Kennedy was assassinated while campaigning for president. Suddenly, the youngest Kennedy brother became the family's political patriarch. At first it appeared that he might have a clear path to the White House. But those hopes ended in 1969 when the senator drove off a bridge and the young woman with him, Mary Jo Kopechne, was killed.
His behavior during the so-called Chappaquiddick incident - he waited hours before reporting his accident to police - provided the first of many cracks in the Kennedys' public image. Instead of running for president, the senator was asking voters in Massachusetts whether he should resign from the Senate.
"For me, this will be a difficult decision to make. So I ask you tonight, the people of Massachusetts, to think this through with me. In facing this decision I seek your advice and opinion," he said.
Mr. Kennedy received thousands of telegrams telling him not to quit. He sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 1980 but lost to incumbent Jimmy Carter.
Other struggles lay ahead. Three of Mr. Kennedy's nephews died young and tragically. Another, William Kennedy Smith, was tried and acquitted on rape charges, with the senator called to testify. He had his own reputation for drinking and affairs but that side of his life seemed to stabilize after his second marriage in 1992.
In 2008, Kennedy was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor, which kept him from returning to the Senate. However, last year, he made a surprise appearance at the Democratic national convention to endorse Barak Obama's bid for the presidency.
Ted Kennedy became one of the longest-serving, most influential senators in modern U.S. history. And in so doing, carried on his brothers' legacy, and built his own.
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If you constantly find yourself avoiding getting your work done, even when it is due the next day, you are probably procrastinating. If you find yourself doing so consistently for more than a month, congratulations, you are a chronic procrastinator.Procrastinating is a bad habit to fall into, and once you're in a habit it is quite difficult to break out of it.Fortunately, it is possible to stop procrastinating with a lot of determination and perseverance. If you have already recognized your problem and are taking positive action to overcoming it, then we have 3 great tips below to help make your journey easier.Tip #1: Take Small Steps Rome was not built in a day, and neither was the Great Wall of China. Sometimes, you may find your work too daunting or challenging and you are clueless as to where to start. Remind yourself to take small steps, as each small step makes up the bigger picture. It will also help you to plan out your work schedule, and make the work seem a lot more manageable and less threatening.Similarly, even for tasks which you think are very straightforward, it is a good idea to break it down into small and manageable steps.This will help you in your time management, and is a good practice to line up the work that you need to do.Tip #2: Positive Mindset One of the greatest blocks to overcoming procrastination is your negative mindset. Your subconscious mind is a powerful tool, and by thinking positive thoughts you will be able to overcome the habit of procrastinating.Tell yourself that you can do it, and that you choose to do it. Be positive and open minded about the task, and eliminate the negative thoughts that tell you that you are not good enough.Tip #3: Do not Procrastinatethat’s right, do not procrastinate dealing with your procrastination problem. It is very easy to fall back down the slope and tell yourself that you will face up to the issue... tomorrow.Tomorrow is never good enough, because there will always be another tomorrow.Make every day count, and do not delay taking action to deal with your bad habit.These 3 tips are the common road bumps that procrastinators face when trying to rid themselves of the bad habit. Remember that you need to persevere and be determined in order to make progress.Just like your bad habit that took time to build up, it will require some amount of time as well to over come it. It is important that you seize the day and start now.Aha, I have just mentioned the greatest destroyer of destinies “Procrastination” If you are not careful, procrastination will stop you in your quest for success and the best way I have found to deal with it is by shouting to myself, do it now, do it now, and I tell you, it works for me all the time.It will surely work for you. Try saying it to yourself anytime you feel like postponing work on a chore you must do, you'll be glad you did.Posted by CONCEPT REALITY. Get more tips at www.oluorikeye.blogspot.com
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I want to use this medium to ask good people on Naijabook who truly believe in Rebranding to please ask the government of President Yaradua what has suddenly halt the Barracks Renovation Project,which has been halted since Dec, 2008.The commision was given the mandate to renovate all the Barracks in the Nation. This project kicked off last year , so far the first phase was just a flash in a pan, The second phase kicked off around August last year.I am using the NAF BASE Kaduna as my reference point. The jobs are almost 70% completed , while the contractors were commited to finishing the job and getting their Balance.The job came to an halt by December 2008 following the end of financial year. while the finishing was slated for this tear January, after sighning of budget.Up till now,August nothing is heard from PCBR again, while the contractors were being stranded as many of them went for Bank Facility. Their money is hooked up, while the job is incomplete.The question is. How many years is PCBR going to spend on a phase ,and when is Yaradua going to comlete the renovation project.Si it going to be 2020? or is he going to be till thy kingdom come?Abeg make una help me ask dem ooo.
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Posted by 9jabook.com on August 25, 2009 at 9:11pm
I recieved this today in my email box maybe it was in error or a brand spanking new type of f.ra.ud. by the ever versatile youths in Naija's ASUU Strike Summer School.
After reading, either the banks policy on initial funding varies as i know from the details in the mastecard i have from GTBank that a minimum of $200 USD is required to fund your Master Card at inception.In this email it says $100Or is this some way to kidnap or lure (you never know ) Adesuyi Folashade whoever she is ?
As far as i am concerned GTbank is perhaps the most efficient Bank I have had dealings with during my stay in Naija.It is almost impossible to use a foreign credit Card to make online payments from naija.Beleive me I have tried And the Folks at the GTbank Master Card/ATM Department have shown tremendous professionalism in making my Card go live in less than 10days ! A record even according to UK standards ! .
Although Bank policy says I have to go to the mallams at eko hotel to purchase dollars to fund my account !
Dear ADESUYI FOLASHADE
We wish to inform you that your GTBank MasterCard is ready for collection at our Ikoyi branch.
The GTBank Master Card "The Preferred"
- Is acceptable worldwide as a means of payment for goods and services at over 26
- Million Master Card location and over 1 million ATMs in more than 210 countries.
- It can be used on POS terminals, ATMs, Mail order, Telephone Order, Internet, etc.
- It is convenient and safe and eliminates risk of carrying cash.
- Access to online statement to monitor your spending.
Once you receive your card please ensure that you do the following before first use:
1. Your Personal Identification Number (PIN) should be delivered in sealed pin mailer, if tampered with, please do not collect and notify us immediately
2. Sign the back of your card immediately on the multicolored panel with an ink pen
3. Fund your MasterCard Dollar domiciliary account with a minimum of $100 before activation
4. Call GTBANK Cardholder Services on 234-1-4618714-5, 234-1-2713193 234-1-4612901,234-1-4610906, 234-1-4610907,234-1-7404210, 234-1-7404211,234-1-7404212,234-1-4480027, 234-1-4480028 or 234-1-2714218 to activate your card before the first use (please have your GT Bank account details ready before you call)
For further enquires, please call the undersigned or GTConnect: 234-1-4480000; 0803-9003900; 0802-9002900
PS: Kindly ignore this mail if you have picked up your card already.
Thank you for your continued patronage.
Best regards.
Chidi Nnadi
cardservices@gtbank.com
www.gtbplc.com
E-Business & Card Services | Guaranty Trust Bank plc | Tiamiyu Savage
Tiamiyu Savage, V.I | Lagos, Nigeria. | Tel: +234-01-4480028, 7404210| Fax: +234-01-4480026
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American singer Chris Brown has been sentenced to five years probation and six months hard labour.Reading the verdict in Los Angeles , Judge Patricia Schnegg said Brown is to perform the hard labour at the Commonwealth Catholic Charities in Richmond, Virginia where he must also take a 52-week domestic violence course.Brown who pleaded guilty to the charge of assault must stay 100 yards away from Rihanna, except under an entertainment plat form.The protective order is expected to last five years.
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LAGOS— For two weeks running, the dust raised in the nation’s banking sector refused to settle with events happening in quick succession.Only yesterday, the former Managing Directors of Afribank Plc and Fin Bank Plc, Mr Sebastian Adigwe and Mr Okey Nwosu, respectively, also removed two weeks ago by the CBN Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, were yesterday ordered to be released on bail by the EFCC by the same court, eight days after their arrest.
Mrs Farida Waziri, Chairman, EFCC, right, during a press conference on banks' debtors in Lagos, yesterday. Photo by Kehinde GbadamosiThis is coming as the former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Oceanic Bank Plc, Mrs Cecilia Ibru, who was last Sunday, declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, was granted leave by a Lagos State High Court, to enforce her fundamental human rights against the commission.Meanwhile, the EFCC boss, Mrs Farida Waziri, in what she termed “an update on the agency’s investigations in the banking sector” said that bank loan defaulters would be arraigned in court as conspirators along with the bank chiefs.Speaking in Lagos, Waziri said, “we have compiled a comprehensive list of all the defaulters.In fact, the reason we have not arraigned some of the bank executives in our custody is because we wanted to be sure about the defaulters so that we can arraign them as conspirators alongside the bank chiefs. Our operatives are fully mobilised to ensure that the exercise is successful.”In another reaction, the organised labour, through the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, also warned Mallam Sanusi, yesterday that if the current house cleaning in the banking sector must be taken very seriously by all, it must not in any way be turned into an instrument for reigning in opponents of the government at the centre.The NLC’s General Secretary, John Odah in Abuja, said the apex bank must note that no modern economy can survive without industrialists and other sectors of the economy having an unfettered access to loans and credits, adding that it has become imperative for CBN to amplify caution in the wake of the politics of who is and who is not on the bankers’ debtor’s list.Ibru gets court leaveIbru’s counsel, Mr Niyi Akintola (SAN), in the suit against the EFCC, the Attorney General of the Federation, Inspector General of Police, Director General of the State Security Service, Governor of CBN and the CBN, is sought to enforce her fundamental human rights.He had contented that the threat to her client’s right to movement was a violation of the constitution and that Mrs Ibru was denied the right to fair hearing before the August 14 directive of the CBN Governor, relieving her of her position.Akintola, argued the two applications filed in court, but the trial judge, Justice Bukola Adebiyi, granted some of the prayers, directing that Ibru should serve the AGF, IG, DG SSS through the AGF while EFCC should be served directly with the court processes.According to the court, “leave of the court is granted for the accelerated hearing of the applications. Leave is also granted to the applicant (Ibru) to enforce her fundamental human rights against the respondents.”The court further directed that the applicant should not be harassed, intimidated or embarrassed by the respondents, adding that the applicant should not be subjected to any inhuman or degrading treatment that is inconsistent with Section 34 of the 1999 constitution, pointing out, however, it (court) could not restrain or prevent the EFCC from performing its statutory functions.According to the court, if the commission wants to investigate or arrest the applicant, it should do so within the confine of section 35 of the constitution. as further hearing in the matter was adjourned till September 7, 2009.Adiwe, Nwosu get bailFor Adigwe and Nwosu, the court ordered their release on bail, following an application by their counsel. The court also restrained the EFCC from engaging in any act that could undermine or jeopardize the rights of the applicants to their freedom as enshrined in the constitution.The trial judge, Justice Bukola Adebiyi, further directed the processes filed in the matter, to be served on the respondent at its Lagos office not later than seven days.Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), counsel to the Nwosu and Adigwe, had argued that the detention of the two former bank Managing Directors beyond the stipulated period was a violation of their fundamental human rights.He had further contended that despite the fact that his clients met the conditions of the administrative bail granted them by the EFCC, the commission refused to release them.Nwosu and Adigwe are meanwhile seeking N50 million damages each against the EFCC and a public apology for the violation of their fundamental human rights.They are praying the court to declare their arrest and detention as unlawful and a violation of Sections 34 and 35 of the constitution and Article four and five of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act.They also want the court to declare that “the acts of the respondent founded on the highly publicized and injuring purported order of removal issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria on the basis of the conclusions/recommendations of a purported Special Examination report of the apex bank which the applicants were never availed the opportunity to rebut and particularly the arrest and detention were unlawful, unconstitutional and a gross breach of the doctrine of fair hearing as enshrined in the constitution.EFCC to charge bank debtors as conspiratorsMeanwhile, following the expiration of the seven-day ultimate given to individuals and corporate bodies that are indebted to the five banks to liquidate their debts yesterday, Mrs Waziri yesterday said those who failed to do so should be prepared to face the consequences.She added that information available to the commission indicated that some of the debtors were holding secret meetings and strategising to escape arrest and prosecution while others were preparing to go to court to seek protection against arrest and prosecution.Warizi argued that while it was within the right of every Nigerian to seek redress against perceived wrong, the judiciary should guide against frivolous interlocutory application from bank debtors at this time.Insisting that the country was going through a critical time in the banking sector, the EFCC chair said what some of the individuals and organisations have done was economic sabotage, which any reasonable person should not support and let them get away with, even as she appealed to all stakeholders to co-operate with the commission in the effort to recover the loans, beginning from today.She disclosed that her commission had compiled a comprehensive list of all the defaulters, noting that the reason the commission had not arraigned some of the bank executives in its custody was because it wanted to be sure about the defaulters, so that it can arraign them as conspirators along with the bank chiefs.“We have compiled a comprehensive list of all the defaulters. In fact the reason we have not arraigned some of the bank executives in our custody is because we wanted to be sure about the defaulters so that we can arraign them as conspirators alongside the bank chiefs. Our operatives are fully mobilised to ensure that the exercise is successful”, she added.NLC warnsNLC meanwhile in a statement in Abuja, said “it is our hope and prayer that the CBN Governor and his team will resist the pressure, to turn an otherwise patriotic and professional. Act into a horse Whip, for whipping political dissent into line, as was perceived to be the case of the EFCC in the dying days of the Obasanjo Administration.“The present contestations whether some loans were performing or not would have been avoided if more measured processes were adopted. Such obvious openings are the ways in which the hawks in our politics would want to begin horse trading and we must not allow this. Any attempt to use this exercise to exert undue pressure on legitimate bank creditors, in order to leverage any political divide, will be most dishonourable and costly to our democracy.“In our last press statement on the ‘The Shake-up in the Banking Sector” in the country issued on the 17th August 2009, we expressed our support for the bold move of the CBN governor to sanitize and stabilize the banking sector.This in effect meant that the culprits indicted have to be identified and made to face the sanctions prescribed by law. We also in that statement pointed out that the sanitization and sanctioning of individuals, groups and corporate organizations must be done within the circumference of the law of the land.”“We noted that “the so-called bad loans in the books of the banks need to be recovered. Too often, well connected and highly placed individuals deliberately seek to rip off the system. All legal means must be employed to recover all loans.While noting Mr. President’s order to the nation’s security agencies to help the banks in recovering the loans, we wish to caution that this must be done within the orbit of existing laws. This was our position and it has not changed.“As the Managers of our apex bank are fully aware, no modern economy can survive without industrialists and other sectors of the economy having an unfettered access to loans’ and credits. The CBN and its leadership must ensure that its otherwise laudable patriotic and professional initiative does not get enmeshed in unwholesome political intrigues.The current house cleaning in the banking sector must not be allowed to be turned into an instrument for reigning in opponents of the government at the centre. We will watch this process closely to ensure that this process does not degenerate.”
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She is the voice we once heard on radio. Then she hit the music scene in the all girl group Emete. The group split in 2005 with the three members going their separate ways. She thereafter cut out to do her thing. With her new album, Michelle Ugbo Christened herself Ashionye.She has been a brand in the Nigerian music scene since then. In 2007, she gave birth to the Girlpower concert. An initiative aimed at empowering female musicians. Yesterday, at Onikan Stadium, the second edition of Girl Power kicked off with two more shows to follow in Ibadan and Benin. In this interview, Ashionye opened up to Sunday Entertainment on why an all female concert became necessary. Enjoy it.WHY are you doing an all girl thing? Won’t it be better to compete with the men?If you look around very closely, you’d see that the male musicians have dominated the music scene. I’ve taken proposals to a lot of people and companies concerning female shows and no one wants to sponsor.What I hear is, “it’s a female thing, will people come and watch? I don’t want my product to be associated with women only.” It’s funny because it’s the woman who says, “my husband lets go and see this show or there is this product in the market lets buy it”. Women are the ones who sell ideas to their partners.But female musicians are not really getting the needed support to grow. Girl power is my idea. I call it a movement. I’m passionate about women empowerment and I want to do it through the kind of work that I do-music. That is the way I feel I can reach people.We hope we can keep this going. because it is an amazing concept and we also hope that after Nigeria, we would take over Africa and then the world.Don’t musicians already have the female wing where some of your thoughts can be articulated?I’m looking at starting up a forum. I’ve discussed with some other female musicians in the industry and women outside the music industry but who are interested in music and entertainment.I’m looking at starting a forum in September when we have a break in between. I want to get women to talk about the issues that we have, how to move ourselves forward, the problems that we have amongst ourselves, how to support one another, get every one to come and air their views. I’m working on that and I have people who are already interested.Are there fundamental issues that hinder women in the entertainment industry?Its that same thing. They say she’s a woman now. Let’s push a man. We don’t want our product to be associated with women only. Things like that. Honestly, if you sit down and listen to songs done by musicians both men and women, you’d find that women sing better than men world over.But I guess it’s a typical Nigerian or African thing that women come after the men even if she is better. I’ve been in the industry nine years and counting and it’s been like that all the way. Whether I do something good or not.It’s nice that you are trying to get the female musicians together but it isn’t it ironic that your all girl group, Emete couldn’t stay together? What is your relationship with other members of the group now?We are still trying to work on that, meanwhile, everyone is doing different things at the moment. I would say Emete had issues because we were young and naive and everything was given to us on a platter of gold.We didn’t have to pay for everything because we were signed to a record label that took care of all the expenses. We were not like some others who struggled, spending their own money to get things done. We had everything given to us so we took that for granted.But over the years, I have learnt from that experience and we are still working on getting back to being friends. I won’t say it’s a shame but it’s a gradual process. We each had issues with each other that we are coming to terms with now and we are understanding that we did a lot of childish stuff. Now we are older, now we are women, let’s get back to being friends. So we are working on that.Nigerians like to see known faces when they go to shows. Some of the artists for this year are relatively unknown why is that so?I got the honour of picking the girls on this tour as well as the previous one. These girls are hot at the moment and they are strong women and its our own way of saying lets empower the Nigerian female musician.What message exactly do you want to pass on to these women, something that would probably inform a theme for the concert?Last year after every artist had performed, we came together and we did the theme song, “I’m a woman”. This time around, we are doing “what a feeling”. It was originally done by Irene Cara. It’s a Tetmosol theme song. We are going to be performing that together. And we want to empower women again with that song.What’s the response like with the first edition of the Girl Power?It was amazing. If you remember, women paid N1,500 and men came in free as long as they came with a woman. We did a role switch in 2007. We had female body guards and male ushers. Funmi Iyanda was the compere. It was a role switch.It was our night kind of thing. We had the former first lady, Mrs Remi Tinubu attend and after the show, she went with us to the Remand Home in Idi Araba to make donations from ticket sales. There we had a little concert for the girls. We spent about three hours there We also donated part of the money to Little Saints Orphanage.Yes, we are women but we don’t want people to push us to the back. We are not saying we don’t respect our men, we love and respect our men but appreciate us not for the fact that we are women and we are made to remain in the house or kitchen as mothers. Of course, those are roles but we are multi task.What about some of those who turned you back two years ago?Some of the people who turned me back actually bit their fingers because what we had was actually overwhelming. I had a lot of people coming up to me, a lot of upcoming musicians and even established ones asking me when the next one is coming. Some told me I inspired them and they would like to be part of the next one.Even people who were not in entertainment came up to me and started humming the ‘girl power’ theme song. Depending on Tetmosol, we are hoping that the concert will be sustained. Already, this year, it has expanded to three cities.What has life been like?Life has been amazing. I’ve been busy. My second album is about ready. I have two singles playing on the radio. The second album will feature MI, Nomolose, Banky W, Mo Cheddah, Pipe and BB. I must not fail to mention too that I’ve done two movies. One is titled Jungle Ride and the other one is a comedy, “Mumu” which I did with Kofi.Image is something that is very difficult for a lot of celebrities to manage. How have you coped?Well, this is me. What you see on stage or red carpet is actually who I am. I’m not forcing it contrary to what a lot of people say or what has been written by the press. I’ve always been the kind of person who wants to go on an adventure with image. I want to experience things.I want to do things that people are afraid of taking a step forward to do. The whole entertainment thing, the whole music thing, I didn’t grow up in the face of a camera, I didn’t have a famous dad who was always in the limelight and dragging me along. It was different but I had people from the record label and my management who were able to bring me back to earth.I’ve learnt from these experienced hands that you still have to remain the same person to make it. Don’t let the fame or the name or the money change you and that’s who I am right now.
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The leggy queen of beauty who is one of the relevant faces in Nollywood today has perfected all plans to have the Nigeria's premier of her award-winning movie, Through the Glass.The multi-million naira movie where she's the only African featured in is slated to be premiered on 13th of September at the Silverbird Galleria, Lagos.After the premier, the movie will now be released for public consumption from the 16th of September, 2009. While a lot of Lagosians eagerly await the coming of the movie, the Port-Harcourt based movie lovers have bombarded the ticketing section of the galleria to purchase their tickets.Meanwhile, Steph who has also dabbled into fashion is happy about people's anxiousness for her exciting movie. “It makes me feel real cool' she said.
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